Holz Elementary School Teacher Charged with Assaulting Special Needs Child

Parents put their trust in the staff at a school to provide a safe environment where their children can learn and thrive. It is incredibly upsetting when that trust is betrayed. That is what the parents of a three-year-old special needs student are dealing with after a teacher assaulted their child.

The incident happened at Holz Elementary School when preschool teacher Patricia Lynn Summerfield, 55, of Charleston, assaulted the nonverbal student by dragging them forcibly across the room.

The assault was witnessed by two other teachers who stepped in to intervene before more harm was caused. The child suffered multiple scratches and red marks.

Police were called to the scene, and Summerfield was placed under arrest and charged with felony battery and assault of a disabled child. As reported by WCHS, Summerfield was immediately suspended from the school, with a Kanawha County Schools spokesperson releasing the following statement,

“A report was made to Holz administrators on Tuesday about a possible incident with a staff member,” the spokesperson said in a statement to Eyewitness News. “School administrators took all appropriate action per KCS policies. At this time, the district is unable to comment any further because state law prohibits discussing issues related to personnel.”

Sadly, this is not the first time a crime of this nature has occurred at Holz Elementary School. Recently, another special needs teacher, Nancy Boggs, pleaded guilty to multiple counts of battery on several students. She was sentenced to 10 years in jail.

That case compelled state legislators to change the laws to make abuse against a disabled child classified as a felony.

That incident resulted in a lawsuit against the Kanawha County Schools, and the family was awarded a settlement of $11.75 million. This was the largest settlement against a West Virginia public school board.

How Hendrickson & Long, PLLC Can Support Families

No family should have to go through these disturbing assaults. Unfortunately, even when parents research and evaluate a school, there is no guarantee that a staff member won’t be capable of committing a crime.

Whether that crime is assault or sexual abuse, families can rely on the skilled attorneys working at Hendrickson & Long, PLLC, to provide the support and guidance they need to seek a remedy.

When the staff at school intentionally harms a child, there should be no hesitation in bringing an action against the individual, the school, and the district.

We understand the sensitive nature of these types of cases. Our goal is to be transparent with families about all potential challenges and possible outcomes.

Setting up a consultation with our attorneys is the first step toward obtaining answers and holding responsible parties accountable.